


mother knows best

by coffeesuperhero



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Community: cottoncandy_bingo, Family, Gen, Kid Fic, Kid Loki, Kid Thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 15:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeesuperhero/pseuds/coffeesuperhero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Thor and Loki make some mischief around the palace; Loki discovers that lying isn't as easy as he thought when Frigga's involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	mother knows best

**Author's Note:**

> This journey into silliness is for the "siblings" square on my cottoncandy bingo card.

The day that Odin receives a new weapon in tribute from the Vanir, Thor begs and begs to be allowed to use it, but to no avail. 

"He said I'm too _young_ ," Thor complains to his brother. 

"You could just take it," Loki suggests. "If you wait a week or so, no one will even notice." 

"We can't do that," Thor says, but then the idea seems to take shape in his mind, for he looks over at Loki curiously. "Can we?" 

"Of course. Even warriors must learn to be _sneaky_ , mustn't they," Loki says, and Thor's eyes light up as he leans closer, listening intently. "If you think about it that way, you basically have a duty to the realm to steal it." 

"Borrow," Thor corrects, holding up his hand. "I only want to _borrow_ it." 

"Just so," Loki agrees, nodding. "It's not even stealing." 

The plan is fairly simple, as plans go: they will wait for the changing of the guards, Loki's magic will make some kind of distraction, and Thor will step in and _borrow_ the weapon, then return it after he's finished with it, long before anyone even realizes that it's gone. Everything works quite well, as they expected it would; what doesn't go so well is what comes after, when Thor inadvertently breaks the thing the first time he attempts to use it.

"What are we going to _do_ ," he says, dismayed. 

"Put it back," Loki advises quickly. "Straight away, before anyone has noticed that it is missing." 

"But they'll notice it's _broken_ ," Thor says. "Then what?" 

"Then we say nothing unless we're asked, and if we're asked, we lie," Loki says, shrugging, as though this were the simplest thing in all the realms. 

"I don't know," Thor says. "I have little talent for that." 

"Don't worry," Loki says, his hand on his brother's shoulder, in a fair imitation of all the times Thor has said the same thing to him about fighting. "I'll teach you." 

The next afternoon, the palace is abuzz with chatter about the broken weapon, unfortunately discovered by one of the guards just after they snuck in to replace it. One of their mother's attendants, Hild, happens to ask the young princes about it, and Thor lets Loki take the lead. 

"I didn't want to say anything, because I shouldn't like to get anyone into trouble," Loki says solemnly, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve, "but I overheard Alfarinn and Skagi boasting about it yesterday morning." 

"Those two," she snaps, irritated, while from behind her Thor nods his approval and gives his brother an encouraging smile. "I must go and speak with their parents, I'm afraid." 

"Oh," Loki cries, stepping back a step, hands over his face. "Please don't tell them I told you. They'll be ever so cross." 

"No harm will come to my brother for telling the truth," Thor says, coming to stand beside Loki, one arm around his brother's shoulders. He nearly snickers and ruins the entire game, but Loki steps down hard on his foot and he pulls himself together. "I will see to that." 

"Nevertheless, I must speak with them. But I will do what I can to keep you out of it, young master," she says, patting Loki on the shoulder. "Behave yourselves in my absence, please." 

"Yes, Lady Hild," they chorus, standing straight and still until she is out of the room. Loki puts his finger to his lips and runs to the door, watching her until she is out of sight and out of hearing range, and when he turns back to face Thor the two of them dissolve into laughter.

"That was brilliant," Thor says. "Well done." 

"Thank you, thank you," Loki says, taking a bow. "I suppose you did fairly well yourself." 

"I must give some credit to my tutor," Thor says, grinning. "How much trouble do you suppose they'll be in?" 

"I don't care, as long as it isn't our problem any longer," Loki says. 

It becomes their problem again later that evening, however, just after they have finished their evening meal. Their mother joins them briefly, entertaining them with stories from her recent visit to Alfheim, before bringing up the curious case of the broken weapon in Odin's treasure room. 

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, my sons?" Frigga asks, and inexplicably, Loki finds it impossible to meet her eyes, and though the lie is ready on his lips, he cannot seem to give it voice.

"We already told Hild everything," Thor says, when Loki says nothing for far too long. He hits his brother on the arm. "Didn't we, Loki?" 

"Yes," Loki says shiftily. Under the table, Thor steps on his foot, and the shock of it really should have helped, but then Frigga raises her eyebrows at him, lays one of her hands gently over his own, and says, "Tell me," and the entire story spills out of his mouth before he can stop it, Thor looking on in horror all the while.

"I'm _sorry_ ," he concludes, when he's told all. "We didn't mean to break it." 

"Thank you for telling me the truth," she says seriously. "You will have to speak to the Allfather about this later, you realize." 

"Yes, mother," they say, hanging their heads. 

"For now, I think you should go to your room," she orders, and they leave the table without another word. Thor looks terribly chagrined, while Loki mostly looks puzzled, his brow furrowed in bemusement. 

"Brother," Thor whispers loudly, as they shuffle down the corridor in defeat, "what happened?" 

"I don't know," Loki says, genuinely confused. "I don't understand, she just _looked_ at me and it was like she already _knew_ and there just wasn't any _point_ to lying about it. I swear I did not fail you; it must have been some kind of magic." 

"Hmm. Perhaps you simply cannot lie to Mother," Thor suggests. 

"I can lie to anyone," Loki counters. "Even Mother. I'll prove it." 

"Save it, we're in enough trouble," Thor sighs. 

"Perhaps next time, we should wait until Mother is away," Loki says, frowning. "Just in case."


End file.
